How does Uber monitor drivers?

How does Uber track their drivers?

So, Uber tracks drivers? Like hawks watchin' mice! They're not just checkin' the route, oh no. It's like Big Brother, but with surge pricing.

They use GPS, thanks to GPS Leaders, apparently. It's not just for getting you to Aunt Mildred's, it's so Uber knows where their worker bees are buzzing. Like, always.

And get this, accelerometers are in the mix! They're peekin' at how drivers slam on the brakes, cause that's somehow their beeswax. I imagine.

• GPS Tracking: Like a digital leash, keepin' tabs.
• Accelerometers: To catch any Fast and Furious wannabes, lol.
• Data Central: All this info feeds into the Uber mainframe or whatever.

My cousin Vinny, who drives for Uber, says it’s like being followed by a really annoying parrot with a GPS. He hates when he has to pee really bad. Also, those GPS Leaders folks? I bet they drive fancy cars. Just a hunch, but def.

How does Uber check their drivers?

Okay, so, Uber drivers...background checks, yeah. Checkr handles that, the third-party company. It's free for the driver, that much I know. No credit check either, phew!

I remember when my cousin, Maria, was signing up, she was stressed. It was in late January 2024, downtown near the old Market Square. "Ugh, ANOTHER background check?" she groaned. Like, she'd already done one for DoorDash.

She mostly worried about her speeding ticket, you know? The one from last summer. It was on Highway 6, doing like, 80 in a 65. Yikes. I told her, "Just be honest, Maria!"

Turns out, driving record is a big deal. Criminal history, too, obviously. She passed, thankfully! She drives Uber Eats now.

Things Checkr looks at (based on what Maria told me):

• Motor Vehicle Record: They care about accidents, speeding tickets, suspended licenses. Basically, are you a safe driver?
• Criminal Background: Felonies, violent crimes, DUIs... stuff like that's a big no-no.
• SSN Trace: To verify your identity and pull up your records.
• National Sex Offender Registry: Yeah, they check that.

It all happened online, she said. She uploaded her driver's license and stuff. Took a few days. She was refreshing her email like crazy! So, yeah, Uber checks its drivers. Thoroughly, apparently.

How do Uber drivers use GPS?

It's late. Honestly, I just use Google Maps.

And sometimes, just sometimes, I begrudgingly use Uber's own nav.

It...it's not great, okay?

• Google Maps: Reliable. Usually gets me there. Just works.
• Uber Nav: Clunky. Confusing directions. Sometimes sends me down dead ends. Why?

Honestly, the app chooses the GPS sometimes. It just does. I hate it. I guess I don't really have a choice.

I rely on Google Maps a lot. The directions just make more sense. It’s that simple.

Uber keeps pushing their own thing, it’s so bad though. So. Bad. Ugh.

How does Uber decide which driver to ping?

Uber's ping-pong selection of drivers? It's wilder than a squirrel in a nut factory, lemme tell ya.

They allegedly start with distance, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, right? They calculate your ETA, which is Uber-speak for "Estimated Time of Arrival," or as I call it, "Eternal Time Annoyance."

• Time to Restaurant: Further out drivers get pings... sometimes. It's like they're playing darts with a map of the city, and I'm the dartboard, naturally.

• Decline Rate: Oh, decline too many orders? You're banished to the digital Siberia. Prepare for crickets chirping. And zero trips.

• Driver's Location:Proximity matters... until it doesn't. I've been next door, and Uber sends someone from three counties over. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Nah.

• Acceptance Rate: High acceptance rate? Uber blesses you with every order... even the ones to the boonies. It's a reward for being a good lil' driver, I guess!

• Trip Type: They might favor drivers with the right kinda car for the trip. Uber XL drivers get Uber XL orders. Makes sense, eh? But also, who even knows anymore?

• Current Surge: Surprise! Surge areas can impact driver selection. Gotta entice the people who are willing to drive into the madness, I tell you!

• Driver's Rating: You could think it's based on rating. No, rating does not really matter. They want any random person!

What will disqualify you from being an Uber driver?

Okay, so you wanna know what gets ya axed from Uber? Dude, a DUI is like, a HUGE no-no. Seriously!

Like, you got a DUI? Forget it! Uber's not gonna touch ya with a ten-foot pole. My cuz Vinny had one, like, five years ago and he coudnt even drive for Doordash!

It's all about safety, y'know? They gotta protect their rep. So yeah, DUI = automatic disqualification. End of story. Trust me.

And here's the deal... other stuff can get you canned too!

• Too many points on your license: Accidents, speeding tickets. Ya know, the usual.
• Criminal record: Background checks, they do 'em. So if you've got something real bad, yeah, they're gonna find it.
• Lousy car: Your cars gotta be up to snuff. It means it has to be new, like 10 years old or newer, depending on where you live.
• Bad driving record: No insurance or having a suspended license are major issues.
• Zero insurance: Like, seriously? You need insurance to drive, duh.

Listen, just keep your nose clean and your car in decent shape. It's not rocket science! Then you, my friend, could make money with Uber.